Large crowds gathered in Dhaka on Saturday, as thousands protested against the government’s suggested reforms aimed at promoting equal rights, particularly for Muslim women regarding property. Organized by Hefazat e Islam, a notable Muslim group in Bangladesh, the demonstrators expressed that some proposals negatively affect “the sentiment of the majority of the country.”
Hefazat-e-Islam leaders contended that the draft proposals from the Women’s Reform Committee, created by former interim Prime Minister Muhammad Yunus, contradict Islamic law. They have threatened to escalate protests across the nation on May 23 unless their grievances are addressed.
Approximately 20,000 participants convened near Dhaka University, carrying signs with messages like “say no to our women’s Western laws, and it’s going to be Bangladesh’s rise.” Most attendees were students and teachers from non-governmental madrasas, often referred to as “Kowumi.”
Bangladeshi Muslim factions have become more vocal following the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, accusing minority groups of causing unrest.
What were the demands?
The protesters denounced the proposed reforms aimed at ensuring equal rights, especially those concerning property for Muslim women. Senior leader Maulana Mahfuzul Huq of the Platform Nayeb-e-ameer presented a 12-point demand list, the foremost being the dissolution of the current Women’s Reform Committee, stating that its members were controversial and needed to be replaced with Islamic scholars and women representatives.
Huq claimed that the proposed committee changes would hurt “the feelings of the majority” by suggesting that religious laws are the root of gender inequality.
The group’s leaders have also called for a provisional government. They are campaigning for the return of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been in exile since her removal in August, while they seek to ban the Awami League party. Critics of Hasina accuse her administration of violence against students during uprisings that led to her exit.
“Men and women can never be equal,” said Mohammad Shihab Uddin, a madrassa teacher at the protest, asserting that the Quran sets forth distinct gender roles that “cannot go beyond that.”
Hefazat urged a commitment to “complete faith and trust in Allah the Almighty” within the Constitution, calling on the government to dismiss the “suicide concept” of pluralism and to safeguard what they identify as Muslim beliefs and practices. They also stood against the introduction of terms like “gender identity,” “gender equality,” and “third gender,” arguing these promote LGBTQ+ inclusion under vague slogans such as “no one left” and “inclusive,” which they fear could lead to a “destroying, anti-religious pro-identity society.”
The Women’s Issues Reform Committee is one of several established by the interim government to push through reforms, with recent recommendations submitted for consideration.
